Scripture Reading(s)
1 Timothy 6:6-19
6:6 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment;
6:7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it;
6:8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
6:9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
6:11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.
6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
6:13 In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you
6:14 to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
6:15 which he will bring about at the right time–he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
6:16 It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
6:17 As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
6:18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share,
6:19 thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.
Reflections
This is a beautiful passage that touches on a challenge that every Christian faces: contentment. We are always looking to other things to bring us true joy and happiness. We put our stock in how much we can gain in this world and forget that this life is all temporary. Furthermore, we do not acknowledge the fact that everything we have in this world is a blessing from God and we are to use it for His Glory.
Money, fame, and riches will never be enough to satisfy our need for joy. These things will never replace that only God alone can truly meet the desires of our hearts. Whatever season we are in, we can trust that God has placed us there for a reason and that learning to be content is communicating that we are joyful in our relationship with Christ.
This passage is split into two different segments. The first is instructing us on what does not provide contentment. The second gives us insight on what does allow for us to feel true contentment.
1. We cannot find our contentment in pursuing…
- food: we will eventually grow hungry again and want more
- clothing: we get tired of what we wear or grow out of them
- riches: the materialistic things we own will always keep needing to add up
- money: we will always be in need of more money to provide us wit our materialistic desires
The reason why we cannot find our true satisfaction in these things is summed up in verse 10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.” Our attitudes become affected by our love for money, it changes our perspective on needing to make life as comfortable as possible and causes us to look down on others who do not have what we do.
2. We can find our contentment in pursuing…
- godliness
- righteousness
- faith
- love
- endurance
- gentleness
The reason why we can find our contentment in these things is because they have eternal value. They are not things that we can put a price on and gain profit from. They are however things that can draw us closer into a deeper and more intimate relationship with Christ. These things allow for us to know Christ on a deeper level and love Him for who He is and continually pursue being more like Him. The result is that our joy is found in Him alone.
If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. (1 Timothy 6:8-9)
Something inside of us craves stability. It craves success. It craves peace of mind. Yet, these desires in us can be destructive if we do not get them fulfilled by the Lord and choose to go after them on our own terms. We are given a choice each day to lean on the world or lean on the Lord. While we may find temporary success or stability here in this existence, nothing will ever replace the peace and fulfillment that God give.
Always be on our guard against the desires of the flesh. They can easily run away from us and we can find ourselves in a hole that is deep and difficult to get out of by the time we realize what we have done.
[Featured image from Biblescreen.com]